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Updated By Pratha Shishodia on 12 Dec, 2025 17:45
Get UPSC NDA & NA Sample Papers For Free
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) follows a set exam pattern for the UPSC NDA 2025 exam. The exam includes two stages - written examination, which includes NDA 1 and NDA 2, and SSB interview (Service Selection Board). The NDA 1 2025 exam is scheduled to be held on April 12, 2026. The candidates will have to appear for 2 sections in UPSC NDA 2025 written exam; Mathematics and GAT (General Ability Test). They will have to answer objective-type questions only. 270 questions will have to be answered for both exams for 900 marks. For each exam, students will get 2.5 hours. The candidates should ensure that for each incorrect answer, there will be a negative marking of 1/3 marks. In each section, they will have to secure at least 25% marks to qualify.
On qualifying the NDA 2026 written exam, students will have to appear for the SSB interview. The first stage will include OIR and PP & DT tests and the second stage consists of psychology tests and the conference. Overall, the exam will be of 900 marks in the SSB interview. Check the detailed UPSC NDA exam pattern that comprises the number of sections, questions, marking scheme, time and the number of questions.
In the table mentioned below, candidates can cross-check all the details regarding the exam pattern of the UPSC NDA 2026 exam in order to know about the overall structure of the entrance examination.
Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
Examination Mode | Offline |
Type of Questions in Exam | Multiple Choice Questions in both the exams |
Number of Papers | Paper -I for Mathematics Paper-II for General Ability Test |
Total Marks Per Sections in Exam | Mathematics section: 300 marks, while General Ability Test: 600 marks |
Language of the Paper | Hindi and English Language |
As per the paper pattern of NDA, there will written exam and SSB interview. The written exam of NDA 2026 will consist of Mathematics and General Ability Tests. Candidates should write the papers in their own handwriting. In no circumstances they will be allowed the help of a scribe to write answers for them. Candidates can check details of the following NDA exam pattern for the written exam:
Subject | Code | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Mathematics | 01 | 150 minutes (2 and half Hour) | 300 |
General Ability Test | 02 | 150 Minutes (2 and half Hour) | 600 |
Total | 900 marks |
As per the NDA 2026 exam pattern for SSB interview, the interview will be conducted for 5 days. Candidates can go through the marks division tabulated below:
| Second Round | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| SSB Interview | 4-5 days | 900 |
General Ability Test
The General Ability Test section will be divided into four parts: A, B, C, D.
There will be a total of 150 questions.
All questions will carry equal marks.
There will be four options and candidates will have to choose only one option.
The total duration of the Paper is 2 hours 30 minutes.
The total marks allotted for the General Ability Section is 600.
For every correct answer, candidate will be awarded 4 marks while for every incorrect answers, 0.33 will be deducted.
Mathematics
Mathematics section will carry a total of 120 questions.
The total marks allotted to this section is 300.
For every correct answer, candidates will be awarded 2.5 marks while for every incorrect answer, 0.33 will be deducted.
The question paper will be set both in English and Hindi.
SSB Tests
Candidates shortlisted for written examination will be called for SSB tests. The test is conducted for five days. The stages of SSB Tests include screening test, psychological test, GTO, Personal Interview, and Conference. Candidates need to qualify in all the stages by securing minimum qualifying marks.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will declare the subject-wise marks distribution of NDA exam 2026.
Sections | Subjects | Marks |
|---|---|---|
Mathematics | Maths | 300 |
General Ability Test | English | 200 |
Physics | 100 | |
Chemistry | 60 | |
General Science | 40 | |
History, Freedom Movement, etc. | 80 | |
Geography | 80 | |
Current Events | 40 |
Candidates can go through the table below regarding the marks distribution of NDA Mathematics paper:
| Topics | Marks |
|---|---|
| Calculus | 50-62.5 |
| Quadratic equations | 37.5-50 |
| Matrices and Determinants | 75 |
| Probability | 25 |
| Trigonometry | 75 |
| Complex Number | 25-37.5 |
| Total | 300 |
The table below contains the marks distribution of NDA GAT paper:
Part | Subjects | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | English | 200 |
| Part B | Chemistry | 60 |
Physics | 100 | |
General Science | 40 | |
History, Freedom Movement, etc. | 80 | |
Geography | 80 | |
Current Events | 40 | |
Total | 600 |
By following the steps given below, candidates will know the method of marking answers in the entrance examination:
For MCQs, there are several suggested answers, however, candidates have to choose one answer out of the four.
The question paper of UPSC NDA is in the form of test booklet, wherein responses marked (a), (b), (c), (d) will be given. From the given options, candidates will have to choose the correct and the most appropriate response.
Candidates must note that for each question, candidates will have to select only one response, if candidates select more than one response, their response will be considered incorrect.
In the test booklet of UPSC NDA serial nos. from 1 to 160 are printed. Therefore, out of the options, candidates will have to mark their response by completely blackening with black ball pen to indicate their response.
There will be penalty or negative marking for each incorrect answer that has been marked by the candidate. One third (0.33) of the marks that are assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
| Particulars | Mathematics | GAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Number of Questions | 120 | 150 |
| Total Marks Allotted | 300 | 600 |
| Marks for each question | 2.5 | 4 |
| Negative marking for each incorrect answer | -0.83 | -1.33 |
The SSB Interview consists of two stages. Candidates who will clear the Stage 1 will be called for the Stage 2 exam. In Stage 1 of the SSB Interview, there are Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and Picture Perception and Description Test (PP&DT). Stage 2 of SSB interview includes Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the Conference. The duration of the whole process of this stage will take 4 days to complete. Total marks allotted to SSB Interview are 900. Candidates can go through the NDA 2026 exam pattern of the SSB Interview.
| Stages | Tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Stage I | Screening Test |
|
| Stage II | Psychological Test |
|
| Group Testing Officers Test |
| |
| Personal Interview | - | |
| Conference | - | |
Candidates will have to write with black ball pen the details such as, their centre, subject code, subject followed by test booklet series (in bracket), and roll number at the appropriate space provided on the answer sheet at the top.
Candidates will have to encode their booklet series (A, B, C, or D as the case may be), subject code and roll number in the circles provided for the purpose in the answer sheet.
Candidates will have to report immediately to the invigilator, in case the booklet series is not printed on the test booklet or answer sheet is un-numbered, and get the test booklet/answer sheet replaced.
The answer sheet is liable for rejection in case there is an omission/mistakes/discrepancy in encoding/filling of details in the OMR answer sheet, especially with regard to Roll and Test Booklet Series Code.
In case the test booklet that has been supplied to you does not have any unprinted or torn or missing pages or items, then you should get it replaced by a complete test booklet of the same series and subject immediately after commencement of the examination.
The questions asked in the Mathematics paper are to test the calculative skill of the candidates. The questions will majorly be asked from Class 10, 11, and 12 levels. In order to do an effective preparation for the NDA 2026 exam, candidates can refer to the NDA Answer Key 2026 and can solve as many sample papers as possible.For the Mathematics section, the following topics are important ones:
In the GAT section, questions are asked in English and General Knowledge. Candidates are advised to emphasize Grammar, Comprehension and Reading Abilities for the English section. For the General Knowledge section, candidates must focus on Current Affairs, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History, etc.
Want to know more about UPSC NDA & NA
UPSC sets the NDA question papers in both English and Hindi languages. A total of 150 questions will be asked in the GAT paper while Maths paper carries 120 questions.
In the GAT paper of NDA 2025 exam, there are a total of 150 questions. The GAT section is divided into two sub sections. Part A includes English and Part B comprises General Knowledge.
The important topics in the Maths section are Algebra, Calculus, Matrices and Determinants, Integral, Calculus and Differential Equations, Trigonometry, Vector Algebra, Analytical Geometry Of Two and Three Dimension and Statistics and Probability.
The total number of questions asked in the Maths section of NDA exam is 120.
UPSC will conduct the NDA 2025 exam in offline mode across various cities spread throughout the country. The NDA exam will be held in two shifts, i.e, morning and afternoon. In the morning shift (10:00 AM-12:30 PM), Mathematics paper will be held and GAT will be conducted in the afternoon shift (10:00 AM-12:30 PM).
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